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The President even wrote about the need for socialisation of the dogs as the breed was notoriously timid and a one person dog, yet kept most of her stock in filthy, dark sweatboxes which on the day of our raid were approaching 35 degrees Centigrade when the sun came out. To look at ,the dogs seemed in good condition and some of the favoured ones had even recently been placed in shows. On closer examination however most were suffering from teeth, skin or behavioural problems as a result of the food and husbandry practices. Thankfully all the above were prosecuted for cruelty and banned from keeping dogs for a minimum of 10 years. Now this isnt an attack on breeders as the majority I have encountered have been extremely good custodians of whichever breed they specialise in but rather a chance for you to step back for a moment and reflect on the definition of what is a puppy farm. In my book it is anybody who breeds for profit or recognition, sells the offspring and keeps their animals in conditions that breach the universally accepted standard of the 5 Freedoms. Clearly if these people had kept all their stock and not sold any then that would make them an Animal Hoarder which is a whole new level of neglect. Mini Puppy Farms Now puppy farms dont have to be large undertakings and in my time Ive encountered a number of people who I would consider to be farmers but who only have half a dozen bitches. One particular guy on the outskirts of Gloucester used to breed Rottweilers and German Shepherd dogs when they were in fashion along with Labradors. He kept his dogs in small cages dotted around his property which was a mobile home next to a main road. He was very careful to make sure that he never had more than one litter of anything on his premises at any one time and used to advertise in the local free paper using friends telephone numbers so no-one could trace how many litters he was actually producing a year. When a spate of attacks by Rottweilers caused the breed, and larger dogs in general, to fall out of popularity he just dumped all his Rottweiler and German Shepherd bitches in a lay-by 10 miles away and restocked with Jack Russell Terriers and smaller breeds. Unfortunately I couldnt link the dumped dogs to him so he got away with it. Dealers In my view dealers are anyone who doesnt actually own the bitch but rather just buy the litter and sell them on. These vary from people buying puppies from the free papers cheap and selling them on all the way up to professional dealers who import puppies wholesale from Ireland. There are any number of couriers travelling the Irish route who drive from Southern Ireland through Northern Ireland, catch a ferry , land in Wales and then drive through to London and repeat the journey in reverse who for a fee will transport your dog or litter of puppies wherever you want along their particular route. Safeguards So what can you do to safeguard yourself from these Puppy Farmers and Dealers ? The answer is already widely publicised but I will give you my version. * Adverts Most reputable free ad papers make breeders pay a premium and declare themselves as Trade if they advertise more than a certain number of litters. To get round this the breeders or dealers usually ask a friend to put the advert in and when you phone you will be asked to phone a different number be very suspicious if this happens or the person answering the phone is not the one who owns the pups. Report this to the advertising department of the paper concerned. * Also never specify which puppies you are phoning up about. If the breeder has to ask what breed you are
after then be suspicious. * Never meet halfway. The seller might make out they are doing you a favour but they could be trying to hide something. Unless you live on the Isle of Skye you should be able to travel to see the pups at their home. After all the puppy you are buying is going to be a part of your family for the next 10 or so years so you should be prepared to spend some time and make the right decision . Quite often the dealers and breeders know the people are keen to buy a puppy and often turn up with just one or two in the car saying the others were sold . If they have arranged to see 6 people and already driven to the first five you will end up with a choice of exactly 1 puppy. In the event you are after a particularly uncommon breed you will probably have had to go via the Kennel Club anyway to find the breeder, so be prepared for them to want to check YOU out as well. * Always see the bitch with the pups. When I say with I actually mean with not just at the same address as. Just because you are buying Labrador puppies and the guy has a Labrador bitch out in the garden does it automatically follow that the two are related ? Sounds cynical I know but after almost 20 years Ive developed a healthy (although some would say unhealthy) desire to check what people say before taking it on face value. Ask why the bitch is outside away from the pups ? If the answer sounds weird , challenge it. They are weaned (are they old enough ?), shes having a break from them , shes not good with strangers (possible temperament issues or just protective) . * There should be no reason why you are not be allowed to say hello to the mum so ask if she can be brought in. If she comes in check her over, does she look like she has finished nursing the pups , does she interact with the owner in a normal manner or is she distant with him or her like she doesnt know them ? Trust your instincts and if something doesnt feel right it probably isnt so walk away. * Paperwork Always check any paperwork before you part with your cash as once you have handed it over you really dont have much leverage. If they say the pups are KC registered then ask to see the paperwork, ask to see any certificates and any veterinary reports such as Hip scores or eye tests. Make sure they are originals and that the name and address on any letters matches the name and address of the person you are talking to. You wouldnt buy a car from someone in Devon if it was apparently registered to someone in Manchester would you ? So dont settle for less with your new puppy. * Vaccinations Although technically paperwork Ive included it on its own as it is vitally important that your new puppy is vaccinated properly. Always check the certificate carefully. At the very least it should have a description of your new pup, breed, sex, age, D.O.B etc and the details of the vet that carried out the vaccination. This should be local so it is worth checking out the names and addresses of local vets on the internet before you head off to see you potential purchase. It should be signed by the vet who carried out the examination and the seller should not object to you phoning the vet to check if you are worried about any details. Most vaccine bottles now come with peel off stickers detailing batch numbers and expiry date which can just be stuck on the certificate so read these carefully and make sure it is in date. It is well known that vaccines are smuggled in from Ireland and overseas and by failing to transport them in an appropriate manner and at the required temperature can destroy their viability and render them useless. Ive come across instances of whole trays of new vaccines sitting in hot vans or sheds clearly well above their keep refrigerated temperature limit. There are many more indicators of a dodgy potential puppy farm animal but if you stick to my basic 7 point checklist then you shouldnt go far wrong. To tamper with the Crimewatch mantra The incidents I have detailed above are the exception rather than the rule and the bulk of breeders and people selling puppies are honest and caring. However dont let the small minority get away with cruelty and neglect. (c) Glyn Roberts. All rights reserved.